"I had my time with Ferrari, I won the championship with them. I won many races with them and for me, as a driver, I want different challenges, I want different things and I'm actually very happy to go there," he added.

Raikkonen has signed with Swiss-based Sauber for two years, meaning he will be 41 by the time the contract is up.

"It (Sauber) is roughly 40 minutes from my home," he said. "For sure my family will be happy, I'm happy to be with my family. I think it's probably the best thing. I wasn't really disappointed with the decision at any point."